


Get Through This

by controlofwhatido



Category: Glee
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 16:18:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16066796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/controlofwhatido/pseuds/controlofwhatido
Summary: Written for the prompt: Kurt finds out that his father has died of another heart attack and Blaine is there to comfort him.





	Get Through This

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GleefulSunflower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleefulSunflower/gifts).



> This is for the 2018 Todaydreambeliever Klaine Fic Exchange. As the summary suggest, this deals with Burt Hummel dying. Warnings for sadness, grief, and brief mentions of Kurt's OCD.

Blaine’s world tilts sideways as Kurt’s phone slips from his fingers and falls onto the carpet. He hadn’t thought twice about picking up when he saw Carole’s name on the screen while Kurt is in the shower, but now he feels numb from head to toe and somehow has to get up and give the news to Kurt. 

He swallows hard, his heart cracking in his chest as he pushes himself up from the bed and tries to stifle a sob while he listens to the lighthearted song Kurt is currently singing. He can’t do this -- how can he do this? How can he possibly break the worst news possible to his husband and be the reason Kurt’s world comes crashing down? 

“Kurt?” Blaine croaks out as he opens the bathroom door. Tears are already spilling down his cheeks and he closes his eyes briefly to steel himself when it’s clear Kurt didn’t hear him. “Kurt?” he tries again, a little stronger and his heart continues to shatter when Kurt pulls back the curtains, his face immediately falling when he sees the state Blaine is in. 

“What -- what happened?” Kurt says, not even bothering to turn the shower off as he steps out and grabs a towel. “Blaine, what’s wrong?” he asks, reaching up to wipe away the tears on Blaine’s face after he fastened the towel around his waist. 

It’s all wrong that Kurt is the one trying to comfort Blaine and Blaine shakes his head, pulling Kurt’s hands down from his face squeezing both of them with his own. “The phone rang, just now -- “ he says, choking on the words. More tears fall and Blaine isn’t quite sure how he’s still upright. 

“Oh god,” Kurt says with a gasp. “Is it your mom? Cooper?” 

Blaine shakes his head again and takes a deep, shaky breath to try to force his next words out. “No, um… it wasn’t my phone. It was yours. Carole called. Kurt, I -- I don’t know how to say this, I don’t know if I can…” 

“No,” Kurt says quietly, backing up away from Blaine as much as he can in their small bathroom. His hand flies to his mouth and he shakes his head. “No, nonono --” 

Blaine steps forward and reaches in to turn the shower off before pulling Kurt into his arms. “Kurt, I’m so sorry. Burt… Carole said it happened so fast,” he says with a sob. He holds Kurt even tighter against his chest. “He’s gone, Kurt.” 

“No!” Kurt cries out, his yell echoing around the bathroom. He tries to push Blaine away but after one unsuccessful attempt he just sags against Blaine’s chest. He sobs, loud and hard, weakly punching Blaine’s shoulder. “He -- he was supposed to come out here next month,” Kurt chokes out. 

Any attempt at words fails Blaine, so he just holds Kurt tight as he guides both of them to the floor, his body feeling too weak to hold both of them up any longer. They sob together, Blaine’s back pressed up against the toilet but he doesn’t care. It feels like there’s a huge, gaping hole in his chest -- Burt was more of a father to him than Blaine’s own dad. 

“How can -- “ Kurt says with a loud sniffle. “He’s been so healthy lately, how can this happen? Why?” 

Blaine doesn’t have any answers and he’s not quite sure his throat is working right now so he just shakes his head and presses a couple kisses to Kurt’s forehead. “I love you,” he whispers. “I love you so much.” 

Kurt suddenly sits upright with a determined shake of his head. “No… no, it’s not true! You -- you just misheard Carole. Everything is fine, I’m going to call my dad right now -- “ 

“Kurt!” Blaine says sharply, trying to keep Kurt from bolting from the bathroom but Kurt’s skin is still wet and his towel has fallen loose so Blaine’s hands slip. He knows he’s going to have to somehow find the strength to get Kurt dressed, call both of their jobs, find plane tickets to Ohio, and pack for the both of them. “Kurt,” Blaine says, quietly this time, as he takes Kurt’s hand in his own and intertwines their fingers. “We have to get to Ohio.” 

Face crumbling, Kurt looks down at himself and lets out a loud sob. “I’m naked.” 

Blaine nods and stands up, grabbing a clean towel and sets to work on finishing drying Kurt’s body and hair. “Let’s get you dressed. Then you can call Carole back… I’m sure she’s still at the hospital. I’ll take care of everything else, okay?” He’ll mourn later, even though his entire body feels like an open wound, his priority is taking care of Kurt right now. 

Tears continue to stream down Kurt’s face, his eyes glazed over as he stares at nothing over Blaine’s shoulder. 

Gently guiding Kurt into the bedroom, Blaine sits Kurt on the edge of their bed and quickly pulls out underwear, jeans, and a t-shirt for Kurt to wear. He sets the stack of clothes beside Kurt, hoping Kurt will be able to dress himself while Blaine looks for plane tickets. 

“I love you, so much,” Blaine whispers, running his fingers through Kurt’s damp hair before pressing a lingering kiss against Kurt’s forehead. Kurt nods, just barely, but doesn’t make a move to start putting on his clothes. 

Lists of things start running through Blaine’s mind -- Burt made Kurt the Executor of his Estate after his first heart attack, and Carole never fought the decision after she married Burt. They’ll have to sort out the will, decide what to do with the house -- Carole probably won’t be able to afford it on her own -- and sell the shop. Which Blaine is positive will break Kurt’s heart all over again. 

As Blaine grabs his laptop and searches for a flight with two available seats, his mind continues to race. He’s sure Burt had life insurance, but being self-employed it probably is just enough to cover the funeral expenses. Blaine knows Burt had decided to be buried next to Elizabeth back when she passed away, so the graveyard plot has already been taken care of. If he just focuses on details and what he has to do, he can get through this and be strong for Kurt. 

There’s a flight that leaves in three hours with plenty of seats open, so he quickly books it for two and sets his laptop aside. Kurt still hasn’t started to get dressed, so Blaine comes back around to Kurt’s side of the bed, grabs the pair of underwear he pulled out, and pulls them up Kurt’s legs to his knees. “Can you get dressed for me, sweetheart? We’ll have to leave soon for the airport.” 

Kurt sniffs and nods, gaze cast vacantly at the floor. He does stand up enough to pull his briefs up all the way, so that’s progress. 

Blaine only booked one-way tickets, because he’s not sure when they’ll return home. They both have plenty of vacation time at work, so if they need to take a couple weeks off it should be doable. Blaine doesn’t want to call both of their bosses within earshot of Kurt, so he hands Kurt his t-shirt and heads to the kitchen. 

Saying it out loud -- _Kurt’s father passed away_ \-- is harder than Blaine expected. He chokes up during both phone calls, especially with Isabelle because she knows just how close Kurt is -- _was_ \-- with his dad. Kurt’s granted as much time off as he needs, but Blaine needs to be back in two weeks at the very latest. 

There’s other people to call, friends who will want to make arrangements to be at the funeral, but Blaine’s head is swimming enough as it is and he’s barely keeping himself above water to be strong for Kurt. 

Kurt’s dressed by the time Blaine makes his way back to their bedroom, but instead of packing, Kurt has his sock drawer open and is rearranging. 

“Sweetheart?” Blaine asks softly, as to not spook a wild animal. “While you’re in there, could you pick out enough socks for a week?” He’s learned over the years not to draw too much attention to Kurt’s obsessive tendencies, but to help direct Kurt focus his energy on something more productive. 

With a nod, Kurt grabs a handful of pairs and sets them on the bed. “I -- um,” he says roughly, shaking his head. “I don’t know how to do this. My mom -- I was so young. How do I do this?” 

Blaine starts to respond, but the words freeze in his throat when he realizes he doesn’t have an answer. How _are_ they going to get through this? How is Blaine going to stay strong for Kurt when he feels like falling to the floor and sobbing his eyes out? “We’ll get through it, together,” he says. “You don’t have to do this alone, sweetheart. You have me -- and Carole.” 

“God, Carole,” Kurt chokes out, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. “Now she’s lost a son and two husbands… what is she going to do? What are we going to do without my dad?” He cries, slumping down on the bed. 

Blaine rushes over to Kurt’s side and wraps his arms around Kurt, pulling him close. “Remember him,” Blaine says softly, kissing away the tears on Kurt’s cheeks. “Cherish the memories we have. Take it one step at a time.” He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against Kurt’s temple, trying to heed his own advice. 

*

It’s not easy, trying to travel while they’re both shocked and grieving. Blaine triple checks their luggage before they leave, almost leaving their garment bag with their suits on the bed because he’s having such a hard time focusing. 

The ride to the airport and the flight are a blur of holding Kurt in his arms while Kurt silently cries. Blaine’s sure they got plenty of looks at the airport and on the flight, but he doesn’t give a damn. He doesn’t need to explain that his husband’s father just died and neither of them know what to do with themselves -- he just needs to take care of Kurt. 

Blaine rents a car when they land -- Lima is too far for any kind of rideshare and they’ll need it for the time they’re there. He can’t even wrap his head around driving Burt’s truck so he just rents a sedan and loads their luggage in the trunk while Kurt calls Carole. 

When Kurt hangs up the phone, his face is even more ashen. “She -- um,” he says with hard swallow. “She hasn’t left the hospital -- they, well. She said he’s still there if we want to --” he cuts off, choking on a sob. He looks at Blaine with more pain in his eyes than Blaine has ever seen, so Blaine rushes over to Kurt’s side and pulls him into a hug. “If we want to say goodbye,” Kurt says with a wail, collapsing against Blaine as he starts sobbing again. 

“We’ll do whatever you want,” Blaine says, gently wiping tears from Kurt’s cheeks. Inside, he’s falling apart. It’s starting to actually sink in, now that they’re in Ohio, that this is it… Burt is gone. No more watching football games on Thanksgiving, no more phone calls because Burt could never figure out how to send texts... no more warm, hearty hugs. “I think, though -- I need to see him,” he says, the words sounding strangled in his throat. “And we should bring Carole home.” 

Kurt nods and gives Blaine a soft kiss before getting in the car. He’s quiet the whole drive, except for the occasional sniffle while he stares out the window as Blaine drives down the highway.

Blaine knows -- from many years of experience -- that Kurt tends to close up and shut down when something devastating happens. He just hopes they’re both strong enough to get each other through this. 

*

The hours feel like they’re passing by in blurred fragments. It’s almost as if Blaine is watching everything happen from outside his body. Seeing Burt in his hospital bed -- saying goodbye -- was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. 

Holding his husband in his arms while Kurt collapsed with grief in the hospital room -- that was definitely the hardest. 

Blaine quickly realizes that every nerve in his body is fraying and he just doesn’t have the ability to help Carole, too. When Carole’s sister says she’s on her way it’s a relief, because Carole is just as lost as Kurt is. 

“I’m not sure I can do this,” Kurt says, staring down at a blank piece of paper at the funeral home. 

Blaine scoots his chair closer to Kurt and wraps his arm around Kurt’s back while Carole holds Kurt’s free hand on his other side. “Do you want me to help, sweetheart? You can Carole can tell me what you want it to say?” 

The funeral director glances down at the folder in front of him -- full of information about their services and the invoice for everything -- and then stands up from his chair. “I’ll give you folks some time to work on that -- take your time, there’s no rush.” 

Blaine nods at the man gratefully and turns his attention back to Kurt. He gently takes the pen from Kurt’s hand and slides the piece of paper over in front of himself. “He was a great man,” Blaine says, his eyes prickling with tears already. “Everyone who knew him knew that. We just have to try to put that in a few words, here. Everything else can be said at the service.” 

All three of them cry as they figure out what they want the obituary to say. It’s impossible to put into a few words how amazing Burt Hummel was, but Blaine does his best and lets Kurt and Carole fill in the family details. 

*

As soon as the obituary is posted, condolences start pouring in. They’d already notified close friends and relatives of course, but Burt Hummel was a very well known and loved man -- between his years at the shop and his stint in congress, he knew a lot of people.

“You know I don’t believe in… God, or a higher power or anything,” Kurt says quietly, the night before the funeral, wrapped up in Blaine’s arms in the guest bedroom. “But part of me really hopes that he’s up there with Mom and Finn right now.” 

Blaine runs his fingers through Kurt’s hair and presses a kiss to Kurt’s forehead. “I think he is,” Blaine says, kissing away the few tears that have slipped down Kurt’s cheeks. “Wherever he is… wherever they are, they’re together.” 

Kurt nods and tucks in closer to Blaine, face against Blaine’s chest. “I miss him so much.” 

“Me too,” Blaine whispers. He’s not sure if the Burt Hummel sized hole in his chest will ever close, because right now he feels like it’s a gaping wound. He knows from experience that it will... they’ll both heal, each day will become easier, and while it’ll always be sad to think about -- they’ll be able to remember Burt fondly like they do Finn, now. 

“Do you think Carole will really move closer to us?” Kurt asks as he swings a leg over one of Blaine’s, clinging like a limpet but Blaine doesn’t mind in the slightest. 

Blaine hums and closes his eyes. Carole had mentioned it briefly -- maybe moving outside the city but definitely closer to both of them. There’s nothing left in Ohio for her, now. “I think she will. I’d love to have her close, especially now.” 

Kurt just nods and blows out a breath. “Tomorrow is going to be… really hard. Promise me you’ll make sure I get through it in one piece?” 

“Of course,” Blaine says, holding Kurt tight. “And it’s okay if you fall apart, it’s my job to help put you back together.” 

Kurt’s quiet for a few minutes, just the sound of their breathing filling the dark room. “I’ll put you back together, too. If you fall apart. I know how much you loved him.” 

Tears fill Blaine’s eyes -- he’s not sure he’s ever cried this much in the span of a week before -- and he just lets them fall, sliding down his temples and into his ears. “We’ll get each other through this, sweetheart. It might seem impossible right now, but we’ll get there.”


End file.
